Yeongju City Strengthens 'Smart Care' Using AI and IoT... All-Out Effort to Prevent Solitary Deaths

Yeongju City in North Gyeongsang Province is strengthening its smart care system that combines AI and IoT technology with citizen participation, focusing on eliminating welfare blind spots and preventing solitary deaths as key tasks in response to the increase in single-person households and the problem of social isolation.

The city is operating the "Single-Person Household Well-being Monitoring Service" in cooperation with the Yeongju branch of Korea Electric Power Corporation, which detects risk signs based on electricity usage and communication data.

If an abnormal pattern is detected, a staff member immediately visits the site to take action. Even during the pilot operation, 136 alerts were generated, allowing the city to identify several cases of isolation risk at an early stage.

In addition, through the "Smart Plug Installation Project," IoT safety devices were distributed to 100 single-person households at high risk of solitary death. These devices detect changes in electricity usage and light levels, and automatically send alerts if there is no change for a certain period. The devices are gaining attention as a means of ensuring safety without infringing on privacy.

Alongside technology-based care, a people-centered welfare community is also being operated. The "Love Health Drink Support Project" involves delivery workers providing health drinks to low-income single-person households while checking on their well-being. Last year, 10 crisis situations were detected early during 7,800 visits.

Additionally, through the welfare registered mail service and the welfare blind spot reporting center, any citizen can report households in crisis. The "Happiness Task Force," consisting of about 200 village heads and volunteers, visits neighborhoods to identify at-risk households and connect them to welfare services.

Yeongju City plans to implement lifestyle-focused projects in stages, such as establishing welfare touchpoints, launching a youth solitary death prevention program, and expanding the distribution of smart plugs, to realize a comprehensive welfare administration that combines the warmth of technology and people.

Jung Geunseop, Director of the Welfare Policy Division of Yeongju City, stated, "As the number of citizens living alone increases, paying attention to even small changes is the true beginning of welfare," adding, "We will create a city where no one is left behind through smart care that brings together AI and the local community."

Yeongju City Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.